Nothing was more important to be immediate success of the Handstreich or sneak attack and the capture of the bridge Visé intact. All of the other bridges and tunnels would certainly have a major impact in a short time however, this bridge was right now. This bridge crossed all the major water obstacles that would allow the northernmost force of the Army of the Meuse to get into position to continue the reconnaissance, surround much of Liège, and allow the 34th brigade to cross the Meuse and make the decisive attack from the north. Another function of this bridge being attacked is that it would allow wheeled traffic to cross the river. That means artillery as well as lower level ammunition and baggage trains. Without the bridge, nothing could cross at this location. The river was too wide -three hundred meters wide at this point.
General Emmich used a very puerile asset to ensure everything was on track with the attack. Emmich received the partially false aviation reconnaissance – Fliegermeldung –report that the roads leading to the Meuse from Visé, Argenteau, and Hervé were free, and the false report that the Meuse bridges—except for the one near Argenteau—were intact.
With the declaration of war at 0800 four August, and with the Fourth Squadron of Fifteenth Hussars in the lead, Second Cavalry Division headed off to secure the bridge that crossed the Meuse River and the adjacent canal around Visé. The bridge at Visé was particularly tricky because it could come under fire from Fort Pontisse in Liège. Shortly behind the cavalry division, at 1130, what was known as the Flying Column, the Bicycle Company of Ninth Jäger Battalion and the First Company Ninth Jäger Battalion with a platoon of engineers headed off to seize the bridge at Visé. They were supposed to link up with a group of requisitioned trucks in Aachen. Various sources dispute whether the trucks appeared. Others told tales of roadblocks delaying the motorized advance. In any case, the Bicycle Company continued forward toward the bridge. It was not clear exactly when they arrived at the bridge but, upon reaching it, they found the bridge blown up and the opposite bank defended.
Belgian forces in turn conducted early demolitions based on news of German preparations around Aachen, Eupen, and Malmedy, including the rail tunnels leading from Germany. As part of this blocking plan, engineers were sent to Argenteau and Visé to prepare explosives to blow up the bridges. At 2200 hours on August 3, the explosives were set off. They damaged but failed to destroy the bridges. New charges were placed later that night. On August 4, the Visé Bridge finally collapsed at 0400 hours, and then the Argenteau Bridge at 0500hours. The Germans never had a chance to capture the bridge intact.
